Fireplaces and chimneys have been around since the dawn of civilization. So, too, has the problem of how to clean the chimney. After several fires have been burned in the fireplace, a shiny, black carbon-type substance begins to build up on the walls of the chimney. This build up is called "creosote." Apart from being a nuisance, this build up of creosote (hereinafter simply "debris") can become highly flammable. Over time, people have learned that regular cleanings of their chimneys reduces the risk of a chimney fire.
The most commonly used method of cleaning chimneys has not changed for centuries. The process initially involves a person getting up on the roof of a house to gain access to the chimney's opening. Next, the person inserts a large wire brush, generally of the same size and shape as the opening, down into the chimney. The brush is usually attached to a short pole so that it can be pushed further down into the chimney. The short pole usually has a male threaded portion on one end and a female threaded portion on the other end. This setup allows the user to screw several short poles together to create one long pole which is capable of pushing the brush to the bottom of the chimney. The user then moves the pole up and down inside the chimney causing the wire brush to knock the built up debris free from the walls.
While the old brush and pole method is capable of sufficiently cleaning a chimney when the user puts the requisite amount of time and energy into the cleaning process, the entire process is very labor intensive. The user must manually scrub the inside of the entire length of the chimney. In addition, the brush is often slightly larger than the space provided by the chimney's shaft. While this tight fit assists in cleaning the chimney to the bare walls, it greatly increases the amount of energy required to move the brush up and down during cleaning. Further, the user must not only raise and lower the weight of the brush along with its friction against the walls, but the user also has to contend with the added weight of each short pole section that has been attached to enable one to reach the bottom of the chimney.
Another drawback associated with using a wire brush to clean a chimney is that the brush does not clean the corners of a square or rectangular shaped chimney as well as it does the sides. The corners of a chimney are the places where the largest amounts of debris accumulate. Because the brush must be made in a square or rectangular shape, the brush wires that are to clean the corners are longer than the wires that are to clean the sides. The longer wires are not as stiff as the shorter wires and are therefore more likely to bend and leave debris on the walls. Additionally, because of the shape of the brush, the concentration of wires that are available to clean the sides of the chimney is greater than the concentration of wires available to clean the corners.
Yet another drawback of the brush and pole method of cleaning a chimney is that it requires a user to purchase several different pieces of equipment. Apart from all of the short poles needed, the user may be required to buy brushes of several different shapes and sizes, especially if the user wishes to clean several different chimneys. Therefore there is a need for a motorized chimney sweep which is compact, easy to use, and easily adaptable to fit chimneys of varying size and shape. The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and fills these and other needs.